Ask Food: Are baked chips healthier than fried chips?

Q: I love potato chips, but I donít like all the fat. Are baked chips any healthier?

A: A health halo has been placed on baked chips while fried chips have been getting a bad rap. But are you really making a healthy choice when you toss a bag of baked chips into your shopping cart? Letís take a closer look.

Yes

One ounce (about 15 chips) of baked potato chips has fewer calories (153 vs. 131), less fat (10 grams vs. 5 grams) and less saturated fat (3 grams vs. 1 gram) than traditional potato chips. If youíre looking at the calories and fat alone, then you would assume it was the healthier choice.

No

There are other factors to consider when you look at the healthfulness of a particular food. Baked potato chips are actually much lower in vitamin C -- they contain about 4 percent of your recommended daily dose per ounce as opposed to traditional potato chips with 10 percent.

Advertisement

Baked chips are also higher in sodium, providing 257 milligrams per ounce (11 percent of your daily recommended amount) compared with 147 milligrams per ounce (6 percent of your daily recommended amount) in traditional chips. The added sodium accounts for the loss in flavor since the chips arenít being fried.

Baked chips are also one of the highest sources of acrylamides. This suspected cancer-causing chemical forms when high-carb foods (like potatoes) are heated to high temperatures. The Food and Drug Administration found that baked potato chips contain about three times more acrylamides than traditional fried chips.

Portion control is key. Mindlessly munching on a huge bag of baked or fried chips can mean loads of extra calories and fat.

The verdict

Choosing baked varieties may save you calories and fat, but youíll still be chomping on more sodium and acrylamides. As an occasional treat, baked chips can be part of a healthy diet, but if they are making more than a guest appearance, you may want to reconsider.